


A Fox and His Ice Cream

by JustClem



Category: RWBY
Genre: A birthday gift to a good friend, F/M, Feel-good, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Happy Ending, Humor, Light Angst, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-09 01:15:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20986394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustClem/pseuds/JustClem
Summary: Feugo had been scouring endlessly down Instagram when he found it:A post that said "PM ME IF YOU WANT YOUR FAVOURITE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS TO COME TO LIVE!"~Feugo Fox's life has been relatively mundane and peaceful, until he gets a shady offer from an unknown source to revive his favourite character into the land of the living. Feugo, being the idiot that he is, takes the offer! (And immediately regrets it.)





	A Fox and His Ice Cream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FeugoFox42](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeugoFox42/gifts).

> This was originally a story from FFnet, posted as a multi-chapter story instead of just one.
> 
> I didn't want to make the effort to post this as a multi-chapter as well. So... here ya go.
> 
> PS, Fox, I know you're reading this, and you're a nerd!

Feugo had been scouring endlessly down Instagram when he found it:

A post that said "PM ME IF YOU WANT YOUR FAVOURITE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS TO COME TO LIVE!"

He blinked and turned so he laid on his side. His mattress creaked from the motion.

He took a moment to subtly glance at the time. It was 1:12 in the morning, and no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't sleep. He was unsure as to why. Did there even need to be a reason? Lots of people had trouble sleeping all the time.

He looked back at the ridiculous post, clicked on the account only to find that it had one post, no followers, and no followings.

The account's name was miracle_exists

Yeesh. Could they be any cheesier?

There was, indeed, no better definition for the word 'shady'.

Feugo hummed to himself and adjusted his smudged glasses.

_There is no way I'm getting involved with that_, he thought as he closed Instagram and read RWBY fan fiction.

Sadly, there was no fresh and good RWBY stories. Not even his friend Clementine had posted anything, recently. Something along the lines of "waiting for school to start so I'd want to procrastinate on learning so badly I write in the best quality!"

It was hard to find decent stories that he hadn't read. It was inches close from the impossible to find a story that had Neo as the main character, not that he didn't understand.

Neo was such a cool character! She was cooler than Weiss and brighter than Yang, and she didn't need cheesy one-liners or 'witty' dialogues to prove her badass-ness.

_Man, if only there was someone out there who has any resemblance to Neo… _

Feugo scoured for what must've been at least 3 minutes.

He looked at the analog clock of his phone. It read 1:12.

_Are you kidding me?! _

He grunted and tried to find something - anything - that would occupy him. Nothing would. He was no big fan of games, and his sleep-deprived mind couldn't whip out a decent writing, much less a good one.

Feugo's thumb wandered and clicked on Instagram again. He found himself staring at the shady Instagram post.

He stared at it for a moment too long and decided _why not? So long as I don't give them my credit card number or social security card, I'll be fine… I think._

He started the message with a simple, "Hi."

His phone's screen glared at him with its bright light. The only light in his room, apart from the dimmer, calmer, yellow light of the street lamps outside.

He thought of the day that would come tomorrow. And the mundanities it entailed.

He'd recently skipped more and more of work. He'd been pushing the boss' buttons.

It wasn't as though he hated work, it was just…

Was he really this unfulfilled? This boring? Was this what his life had become? Retail and Netflix and the occasional trip to IKEA.

He chuckled deliriously to himself. _I should really come to work tomorrow, though. Don't want the boss man firing me, or worse, tell Mum I've been skipping… _

Feugo's eyes drooped. He yawned. He waited for an answer he wasn't sure would come and flopped into slumber ungraciously at 1:13.

Feugo didn't notice that the eye button popped up and signalled that the person he sent his message to read it.

…

Feugo woke up to the purple morning light, and faint motor engines as vehicles outside passed by his house, and poking.

Harsh, impatient poking at his cheek.

"Mum, quit it." It wasn't as though he was in a hurry. His shift started at noon, meaning he could sleep in. But the poking would not stop, and when he buried his face in his pillow, a rectangular object pressed into his face, and he winced as the remnants of his sleep fleeted away.

"Damn it." He'd forgotten to put away his glasses last night. _Let's just hope it's not broken. _

He pushed himself up with his elbows. He neither sat nor lay down on his bed as he inspected it. His sigh of relief at finding that his glasses wasn't broken cut into a yelp when a finger poked into his eye.

"What was that for?!" He put his glasses, a scowl already in place, only for it to disappear at what he saw.

Honey brown and childlike pink. They were in her eyes and her hair, split almost evenly, complementing and highlighting each other in a lukewarm way.

Necklaces, of all kinds. They accompanied her collarbone in a way that oddly satisfied him.

A jacket - or was it a coat? He never could tell - fluffy and gracefully flowed down to shower her legs. Its inners, pink, and outers, white.

Leggings and a pair of boots that seemed to blend in together as one.

She stood out in a flashy way. Everyone would've mistaken her for a child if it wasn't for the depth in her eyes, her structurally refined face with no baby fat, and her developed figure.

It took him a moment to realize he focused too much on the last issue. And a long moment to realize he should focus on something else. And a longer moment for him to grasp what he should focus on, instead.

Neapolitan - a fictional character from a web series with questionable quality - stood at the edge of his bed, on his room, on his house, on his reality.

And boy, did she look pissed. 

...

If you were to wake up and find out that someone who shouldn't be real broke into your room, you have limited options on how to react.

You either-

A) Question this person's motives and if this is some kind of prank.

B) Go back to sleep because this can't be real.

Or-

C) Panic.

And if you were anything like Feugo's friend, Clementine, you would definitely go back to sleep because hey, nothing is more important than sleep, not even death.

But sadly, Feugo was not Clementine.

So he chose every option except for the one he wanted to choose - which was B.

"Do you want my money? My collection? Just take anything and please don't-"

The sharp tip of the umbrella pressed harsher into his skin. It shut him up. He gulped, looked up at the perpetrator, tried to shift away the focus from the fact that she looked exactly like how he pictured Neo to be - down to the nose size and shape and how 'pink' the pink was and everything.

One hand let go of the umbrella and started to make weird movements.

Feugo blinked and looked up at her again, in questioning and fear.

Her face scrunched up as her scowl deepened and her hand movements became more aggressive.

He looked at it and realized-

Sign language.

He squinted and tried to decipher her words. "Why… I… Here…" Feugo was no expert on the language, but he had passed an online course and understood the basics. The urge to readjust his glasses itched, but his hands stayed where they were. He couldn't risk to move too quickly or strongly and her killing him because of it.

"You're asking why you're here?"

He didn't expect her to nod. Much less for her face to break into relief that lasted for but a second before the mask of cruelness slip into her face again.

Feugo's jaw clenched. "Why are you asking me? I'm not the one breaking into someone's room!"

Her head tilted to the side. Those heterochromatic eyes squinted and, to his horror and amazement, changed into a lighter, more saturated color. The brown now looked more like a deep purple.

She signed, again. And Feugo stuttered as he tried to make sense of her words and how swiftly she uttered them.

"Who… are…" A small pause. "You're asking who I am?"

Her nod was stiff and curt.

Feugo couldn't help but readjust his glasses, shocked at his own predicament. _In what world does a thief or a murderer dress up like this, break into someone's room, not tie them up, and ask them who they are?_

A small part of him thought in an almost teasing way that you already know why.

Feugo promptly ignored it. "Well. My name's Feugo Fox. I live on the forty-two street. I don't have a favourite color, I think. I work at-"

Aaaaand the umbrella nudged at his throat again.

"Okay, yeah, I'll shut up." Were he in a different situation, he would've been flustered at how alike his voice was to a chipmunk.

The umbrella nudged deeper he was sure would draw blood. And even with his eyes closed, he could feel her gaze at him. She tried to search and read something in him, something he was sure she wouldn't find, as she tried to glare at him.

_She's confused, but why?_

A harsh poke at his forehead caused him to open his eyes only for her to tuck her umbrella back at her side, like a dagger.

"Please don't kill me." The words blurted out of his mouth, desperate and in need for her to hear them.

She signed again. The only word he caught was 'place'.

"You're asking about this place?" She nodded. "About where we are?" He gulped. "Why?" It was risky to ask, but he needed to do so. He needed to ask lots of questions, if he were to be honest.

To his surprise, she mussed an unheard sigh. Her shoulders slumped. It only occurred to him now, how small she was. Her body was tiny. She must be at eye-level with his neck, or somewhere below, near his chest or collarbone.

She signed. With two hands, this time. The speed dizzied him. He caught a couple of words, but he strung what he could catch together messily.

_Dizzy. Woke up. Bed. Strange. No memories._

"You were dizzy, and you woke up in a strange bed with no memories whatsoever?"

She frowned and shook her head. She signed slower.

Feugo caught on.

"You were dizzy, and you woke up in my bed, in this strange place, with no memories of how you got here."

Neo nodded with vigor. Looks like he did things right.

"Well-" he cleared his throat "-I didn't have anything to do with it."

The way she looked at him told him she didn't quite believe it.

He threw both of his hands up. "Honest! I don't even know who you are, or what you want!" He grinned. "Even though you do cosplay as my favourite RWBY character?"

Something clicked. Feugo's brows knitted together. "Wait a minute…"

He remembered last night. The shady Instagram post. The one that could bring your favourite fictional character to life.

"I thought that was a dream." A fever dream, more like. Feugo looked up and muttered a sigh. He tried to compose himself only to realize he was still in his sleepwear, and huddled in his blanket. He swallowed. "If you really are who I think you are, then you have to prove it."

The girl who he hoped was not actually Neo tilted her head down and looked at him as though he was on crack.

Feugo might as well be, with what he was about to do.

"Look, I think I know what's going on," he said, slow and calm and with a firm tone. He made sure to look right at her, lest she thought he lied. "But you have to trust me on this, 'kay?" He raised his hands again and tried for a smile that ended as a grimace. "I promise I won't hurt you. I can barely run a mini marathon, much less take you down."

Not Neo looked right at him, her scowl still planted on her face. Feugo made sure to return that scowl with a calm look of his own. There needed not to be any hostility. Not if what he thought were the truth.

She looked away, turned her back on him, and pulled something out of her pocket.

He caught a glimpse of it.

It was rectangular, glassy, and it looked to be a hologram of sorts.

_Is that a…? No. Can't be._

She stomped on her foot and raised the device up. A clear intent to smash it down. It hung in the air. Her body shook.

Feugo could only pray her emotional state wouldn't cause him his life.

She turned to him and nodded.

"Yeah?" He breathed, hopeful and thankful that she didn't just kill him with her swordbrella (sword and umbrella.) "Okay. S-show…" God, he couldn't believe he was about to say this. "Show me your semblance."

And she, compliant and with a raised eyebrow, pursed her lips. Pink light surrounded her feet and rose up. It changed the deep purple leggings into a mini black skirt. It threw away the jacket, revealing an all-too-small black top and her midriff. Her hair, now in pigtails and black. Eyes, no longer diverse.

And Feugo, probably about to have a seizure or a heart attack or something, grasped that _yeah, Neopolitan is in my room and she woke up on my bed. _

_And I still have my morning breath._

_..._

_**FF42:** Clem!_

_**FF42:** Cleeeeem!_

_**C_Dvs:** wut?_

_**FF42:** I brought Neo back to life_

_**C_Dvs:** wut?_

_**FF42: **I_

_**FF42:** BROUGHT_

_**FF42:** NEO_

_**FF42:** TO_

_**FF42:** LIFE_

_**C_Dvs:** …_

_**C_Dvs: **wut?_

With a growl, Feugo snapped a picture of Neo and sent it to Clementine. It wasn't a clear-cut HD, but it was good enough.

_**C_Dvs: **nice cosplay_

_**C_Dvs:** wait_

_**C_Dvs: **whys she in ur room?_

_**C_Dvs:** and y does ur room look like king kong and godzilla fought there?_

_**C_Dvs:** :o_

_**C_Dvs: **did u 2 bang?_

_**FF42:** Goodness_

_**FF42: **Clem, NO_

_**C_Dvs: **ure right dude id rather not know_

_**FF42: **That is NOT the focus_

_**C_Dvs:** then what is?_

_**FF42: **THE FACT THAT THATS LITERALLY NEO AND SHES IN MY BEDROOM_

_**C_Dvs:** ummm_

_**C_Dvs: **yeah, sure_

_**C_Dvs:** and im not so secretly gay_

_**FF42: **But you are tho_

_**C_Dvs:** key point here is NOT SO SECRETLY_

_**C_Dvs: **idiot_

_**FF42:** You're losing focus Clem_

_**C_Dvs:** oh_

_**C_Dvs: **yeah right_

_**C_Dvs:** sorry_

_**C_Dvs:** cuz what i SHOULD be focusing on is the fact that ure either pranking me or need to be put in an asylum_

_**C_Dvs: **maybe arkham asylum_

_**C_Dvs:** i wanna see joker beat the shit outta u_

Feugo closed the app. He knew full-well she wouldn't believe him on the whim. He needed proof.

He pushed himself so his back rested on the foot of the bed. He eyed Neo and pretended to be busy with his phone so she (hopefully) wouldn't notice.

Neo, who sat on his desk and played with his laptop, didn't look too good.

He clicked his tongue.

"Um, Neo?"

She flinched at his timid voice and glared at him. He raised his hands up and waited until she nodded at him to speak.

"So, I have this friend who can help, but I need proof to know that you're not messing with her."

She rolled her eyes and half-heartedly signed _Semblance?_

"Semblance."

The video lasted for three minutes. It involved Feugo telling her to "please stand up, that'll make it more real!" and Neo rolling her eyes before begrudgingly standing up in a zombie-hunching position, flaring her arms wide and doing the jazz-hands despite her blank, bored face as she transformed and transformed back.

_**C_Dvs: **…_

_**C_Dvs: **that_

_**C_Dvs:** that COULD be edited_

_**FF42:** Seriously Clem?_

_**C_Dvs:** yeah_

_**C_Dvs:** ure right_

_**C_Dvs:** u cant edit for SHITZ_

_**FF42:** So you believe me?_

_**C_Dvs:** yea hold up imma just freak out for a moment_

_**C_Dvs:** be back in a giffy_

_Giffy? Who even says that anymore._

Feugo sighed and flopped back on his bed. He turned and looked at Neo, who must be deep in thought.

"You doin' okay there?"

There was no answer. Not even the non-verbal one. He might as well be invisible.

He bit his lip and went to Instagram to check the message. Still no response. Even after his relentless messages that begged for them to explain something, anything.

His phone beeped. Clementine messaged him.

_**C_Dvs: **wait_

_**C_Dvs: **whys she using ur laptop?_

_**C_Dvs: **assuming that IS actually ur laptop_

_**C_Dvs: **and u didnt, like, steal it from a poor old lady_

_Feugo's fingers hovered, hesitant. They trembled, along with his lips. He pushed through the sensation._

_**FF42:** She's finding out that she's not actually…_

_Actually what? Fictional? From another universe?_

_**FF42: **From a crappy anime_

_**C_Dvs:** :o_

_**C_Dvs:** fox_

_**C_Dvs: **that is like_

_**C_Dvs:** the worst idea ever_

_**FF42:** I knoooow_

_**FF42: **It was a spur of the moment thing_

_**FF42: **She was gonna kill me if I didn't do anything!_

_**C_Dvs: **shit fam_

_**C_Dvs: **u gotta comfort her n stuff_

_**FF42:** How?_

_**C_Dvs: **ummmmm_

_**C_Dvs:** idk dude_

_**C_Dvs:** im, like, the worst at emotional stuff_

_**FF42: **Clem you just wrote a story about a musician and her fan falling in love_

_**FF42:** It is, quite frankly, the most heartwarming story I've seen_

_**C_Dvs: **dude shut up_

_**C_Dvs:** im supposed to be a badass_

_**C_Dvs: **stop ruining my rep_

_**FF42: **Everyone knows you're a softie Clem_

_**C_Dvs:** fuck u im hardcore_

_**FF42: **You know what_

_**FF42:** Forget it_

_**FF42:** Now what am I supposed to do_

_**C_Dvs: **well we can figure things out AFTER shes calmed down_

_Feugo looked back at Neo, who hadn't moved an inch and typed and scrolled down on his laptop with a precision he wished he had._

_**FF42: **But she IS calm_

_**C_Dvs:** shell shock_

_**C_Dvs:** ever heard of it?_

_**C_Dvs: **plus wheres she gonna stay now that shes here_

_Oh, shit. He hadn't thought of that._

_**C_Dvs:** y dont u screenshot me this acc u talked abt_

_**C_Dvs:** and i research more_

_**FF42: **Thanks Clem_

_**FF42:** You're the best_

_**C_Dvs: **ikr_

Feugo turned off his phone and brainstormed.

He needed some way to calm her down and make her feel less of an alien here.

An idea popped into his head. One that was insane and could possibly get him killed out of rage.

"Hey, Neo, what do you think about Baskin Robins?"

...

It certainly was wild to see Neopolitan eat a simple vanilla ice cream and not, well, a Neapolitan ice cream.

It did make him feel dumb for ordering Neapolitan ice cream - and rather confidently, at that - and holding it out to her expectantly, only for her to shake her hand, looking at him as though he was a weirdo.

_Well,_ he grumbled as he took another bite out of the pink and brown ice cream, _it was the obvious choice._

"So, how are you coping with it all? You know, the whole… transported to a universe where you're an anime character." He cringed, and wished Clementine was here to help him out. She may be too blunt at times, but at least she had some form of communication skills.

Neo dug the spoon into the cup as though it were a knife and grumbled mutedly. He found it interesting, and sometimes entertaining with how expressive she was.

_I guess when you can't talk you have to figure out how to communicate in other means._

Even before she began to sign, the desperation that laced her face and hunched body told him what clouded her mind.

The only clear word he caught was 'home'. But that was enough.

"We don't know how to get you home-" when her face fell, he added "-yet." He scratched his chin. "Clem and I are working on it. We're not even sure as to how you got here."

Her lips tugged down and her jaw moved around.

_Comfort her, Fox,_ a voice that suspiciously sounded like Clementine's sounded in his head. _You've got to be a gentleman and comfort her._

"Don't worry, though. I'm sure we'll figure it out!" A confident grin broke in his face, despite him not confident at all. She didn't smile in response. But she didn't scowl deeper, as well, so he counted it as a win. "Why don't we just enjoy our ice cream?"

A relatively tense silence swayed around them. Feugo pretended not to notice it and hummed an off-note tune to himself and looked around.

Despite him being a terrible planner, Feugo had been at least smart enough not to let Neo went out and about dressed as her normal self.

He, however, had not been smart enough to remember what her semblance entailed, and had spent two to five minutes worrying about which of his clothes she could wear, and debated borrowing from one of his female friends.

He sensed that Neo followed his gaze.

"Something on your mind?" He crossed his arms and rested it on the table. He leaned and hoped the gesture made him approachable.

She signed _grimm_ and with the look on her face, it seemed like a question.

"Grimm?" He paused. His eyebrows rose. "Oh. Grimm. Yeah, we don't have that here."

_Huntsmen?_

"No. We don't have that, too." He smirked. "Though, it would be cool if we did."

The frown on her face told him she didn't agree with his idea.

_Ah. Right. She's a criminal. Huntsman are her enemies._

"It's not like we really need them. Or Aura, in fact." At her shocked face, his lips pursed. "We don't have any White Fang or Grimm or anything to fight. We're past that." Mostly.

Much to his pride, Feugo managed to catch most of her words. _You do have Aura, no?_

"That's tricky." He leaned back and stared up at the cloud-covered grey sky. "Some people _claim _to have Aura. But even if they do, it doesn't work like in your universe."

_So,_ Neo signed, _if you get stabbed, you just… die._ _Easy as that?_

The prospect horrified her. He chuckled. "Yeah. No magic."

_Semblance and magic are not the same._

Neo, somehow, emphasized the word "not".

"Sure, it's not."

There was no silence. Not from him, and not from her in the non-verbal sense.

Neo started to ask questions. About what this world was called. About why this world was called dirt. About how many kingdoms existed. About why there were no more kingdoms.

It was fun to have her ask questions even a basic child should know, and respond to every new discovery with wide eyes and opened mouth.

She wasn't the only one who learned things throughout their conversation.

Feugo learned quite a lot, as well. Things that he never would've noticed whenever he watched her in a distance and through a screen.

Neo smiled with a dimple. And she tilted her head down and covered her mouth whenever she laughed even when she was soundless. She was well-mannered and civilized. And she could be quite charming, too. Her eyes would revert back to her heterochromatic color whenever she was accompanied by intense emotions. Though a simple blink would fix that.

During an intense argument about whether or not Semblance and magic were the same - even though they _so_ were, Feugo's phone buzzed demanded his attention.

_**C_Dvs:** good news or bad news first?_

_**FF42:** Um_

_**FF42:** Good news, I guess_

_**C_Dvs:** ok so_

_**C_Dvs: **bad news is that theres no acc by the name miracle_exists_

"What?!" A few bystanders turned to look at him. Neo's gaze pierced with unspoken questions. He opened his Instagram and found that his PM with the account was no longer there. "Shit!"

The account was the only proof that all of this was real! They were the only thing

His phone buzzed again and he forced himself not to panic.

_**C_Dvs:** good news is that i think i know a way to send her back home_

_**FF42:** Really?!_

_**C_Dvs:** well_

_**C_Dvs:** still need to do some research but_

_**C_Dvs:** i think im going somewhere_

_**C_Dvs: **maybe_

_**C_Dvs: **probably_

_**C_Dvs: **definitely_

Feugo sighed in relief.

_**C_Dvs: **not_

Ah. Of course.

At this point, Neo stood next to him, and looked as worried as he was. Her eyes flashed white. And he'd come to learn that that meant she was fearful.

Feugo looked at Neo. There were certainly many things he could ask, but after he chanced a glance at her, something hard and heavy in his chest fell down.

It began to dawn on him just what her situation was and what it meant. She was stripped away from her loved ones, forced into this unknown world where everything was different and she wasn't real.

_You must feel so alone. And it's my fault you're in this position. _Accident or not, he'd be damned if he didn't take responsibility.

_**FF42:** How long will it take to bring her back?_

_**C_Dvs:** ummmm_

_**C_Dvs:** it depends on how soon i crack the code ya know_

_**C_Dvs:** how quickly i unravel the onions_

_**C_Dvs:** peel the banana_

Feugo frowned and grumbled.

_**FF42:** I get it Clem_

_**C_Dvs:** tomato the potato_

Neo's shoulders trembled as she giggled and nudged him. He grumbled harder.

_**FF42:** That doesn't make sense_

_**C_Dvs:** but yea_

_**C_Dvs:** it can range from 1 day to 1 decade_

_**C_Dvs:** im THAT uncertain_

_**C_Dvs: **sorry i guess :/_

"No…" Feugo grabbed her shoulder as an offer of support. She didn't blink at his touch. She stared at his phone. Her face was neutral.

But there were tears in her eyes.

He opened his mouth and squeezed. She gasped as though he'd burned her and pushed him away. She sent him sprawling into the ground. And before he managed to get a word in, she was gone. 

...

Feugo wheezed and cackled and groaned. He thanked the people who sat him up despite the pain that erupted with his every movement.

"What a bitch."

"Should we call an ambulance for you?"

"How many fingers am I holding up."

He waved them all off, tried to stand up only to fall on his ass.

"Whoa, easy there."

"That's it. I'm calling the police."

"No!" His voice sounded like that of a dying deer. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "No, please. I don't want to get her in trouble."

"Well, that's complete bollocks!"

"Yeah! That lady should pay for what she did to you!"

He tried once more and brought one leg up. And the other. And pushed himself off. His body ached, but it was his chest that suffered the most pain. To draw each breath was to run one marathon. And Feugo did not like to run marathons.

He looked at the people around him and nodded in thanks. "Just don't involve the cops in this. Please."

Hesitantly, they nodded. It was all he needed to confirm before he tried to run after Neo.

"Fuck-" A pant. "Shit-" Another pant. "Fuckidy shit-" A trip, followed with a cough and a grunt, and a short-term disorientation. "Flippidy shittidy shit."

Coordination had never come easy to Feugo. Not to say he was so clumsy that he could barely walk without looking like a drunk idiot. Now, though, he had to run, in pain, in the busy streets, to find a girl that could change her appearance, without gaining unwanted attention.

And with flip flops!

Feugo stopped and rested his hands on his knees. He took deep breaths and looked around with squinted eyes. He was at the market.

_Where is she? She couldn't have gotten that far in such a short time!_

But the logic of his world might not apply to her.

He tried to jog, but even that wasn't enough. He had to take a breather. Just for a short while.

His phone buzzed again. He thought it was a message from Clementine, so he opened it, only to find that it was from his co-worker, who warned him that he was late for work and he would suffer serious consequences and even deadlier ones if he didn't come at all.

He tried to persuade them to cover for him, but their hands were tied, and he was all on his own.

Either come to work and not get fired, or find Neo and… what? Hope she didn't send him flying across the street? Tell her he was going to fix everything even though he had no idea what was going on?

Was she really worth losing his job?

Her?

A stranger and a thief and a possible murderer?

Feugo sighed, took one last breath of defeat, conjured the last he saw of her, and how devastated she looked, and took off.

Feugo stopped, and not because he'd run out of air, but because he'd found her.

Neo stood, swordbrella drawn, surrounded by cops with opened arms who said, "We just want to see your ID."

Oh, boy.

Feugo ran and placed himself in front of Neo before he really realized it. "Hey, what's up, officer?"

He cringed and felt everyone around him did so. _I sound like a total American. Gross._

"Sir, do you know this child?"

Her heated glare caused him to shiver. He needed not to look behind him to know she was unpleased to be called a child.

"Yeah, yeah." He clicked his tongue and glanced back and- _yep, she's super pissed. _"Also, she doesn't want to be called a child."

"Oh, so she's not a child." There was a glimmer in one of the cop's eyes that brought a sense of unease to Feugo. "In that case, she needs to give her ID or else she's coming with us."

"Trust me, girl," another officer said, his voice gruffer and his body broader than the last as he looked down on Neo's miniscule body. "It'll be safer for you if you just come with us."

What a bold-faced lie.

Either way, Neo would come out of this confrontation with nothing but a drop of sweat. She had Aura and Semblance and skill and training - not to mention that wicked swordbrella.

All they had were sticks.

But Feugo didn't want anyone to get hurt. "Yeah. She has her ID." He looked at her, his voice all-too-desperate to sound calm. "Don't you, Neo?"

She signed something along the lines of _what the fuck do you think you're doing?!_

He brought his hand to his chest and signed _please_.

It didn't matter that she had no ID. Not one that stated she was from this city, or country, or even world. He'd very much prefer it if everyone were to come out of this alive and with no broken bones.

"Alright. Let's get this over with."

One of the officers approached them. The one that looked the scariest, in his eyes. Feugo stepped back and shielded himself in Neo. He didn't feel an ounce of shame. If anyone could take on a couple of officers on a whim, he certainly couldn't do it.

Neo looked back at him. He gulped and offered her no words.

"Ma'am. Give me your ID. Now."

Neo pulled out a card from one of her pockets and showed it to the officer. He stared at it for a while and his eyes narrowed. He glanced at Neo and, to his horror, at him.

_Oh, boy, I'm going to jail. I am so going to jail. Fuck. My life's ruined._

The officer tipped his hat. "Have a good day, Misses Fox."

_Huh?_

Feugo stared in awe as the officer disbanded themselves and left them with nothing but the concerned and nosey citizens.

He shuffled and shrunk into himself. He never liked the attention. Neo broadly glowered at each and every one of them until they all went back on their business.

Feugo sighed before he realized-

"Wait, how'd you do that?"

Neo, with a smug look on her face, showed him the card again. He balked at what he saw. It was an ID. With her name on it. And her face.

_Neapolitan Fox, _the ID said.

And a pink light surrounded the card, and her face was no longer her face.

It was his.

The name _Feugo _replaced _Neapolitan._

"Oh. Right." He'd forgotten that she could change not only her appearance, but objects as well. How else was she able to change her outfit? "Wait a minute, did you-" He patted his pocket jeans only to find that it was empty, save for his phone. "Did you steal my wallet?!"

She stared at him with an expression that said, "Well, duh."

"You can't just do that!"

_Why not?_ she signed with a smile, as though it was a challenge.

"You- you just can't!" His phone rang again. He opened it to find that it was an email from his boss. It basically said that due to him skipping today, he would no longer be working at retail. "Fudgeballs."

Neo poked his shoulder. "Huh?"

She started to sign, hesitated, and plucked his phone away. "Not my phone!"

But she didn't run off with his phone. She stood where she was and typed.

_You skipped work to run after me?_

He laughed after he read it. "Well, yeah. Of course I did. I couldn't just leave you alone."

She stared at him in shock. He awkwardly used the chance to steal his phone back and pocketed it.

Neo signed a simple _why?_

At first, Feugo didn't understand.

It soon registered. And he let out a simple "oh" sound.

His eyes darted everywhere but her. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts, and a longer moment to turn his jumbled mess of thoughts into coherent - or at least understandable - words.

"Well, I couldn't just leave you out here alone to fend for yourself. Even if you're more than capable, that just isn't right." Feugo coughed. That was too sappy, damn it! Say something more casual! Something cool! "So, yeah. It's not like I enjoy work anyway. I'd rather be with you."

Goodness fuck! That was even sappier! But he couldn't backpedaled. So he coughed again and hoped Neo wouldn't think he caught an illness.

And Feugo saw a sight he could never forget. A sight he never wanted to forget. A sight burned into his memory. The deepest of his memories.

A smile.

The nicest smile he'd ever seen.

And somehow, despite all of the chaos and craziness, he knew everything was okay.

...

Feugo clicked on the link Clementine sent him.

It was a document that listed off many myths and creatures, all spread out throughout the world in the span of decades, and sometimes even a century.

_**FF42:** I don't get it_

_**C_Dvs:** try n look the time_

_**C_Dvs:** actually nevermind_

_**C_Dvs:** imma just explain it 2 u_

_**FF42:** Okay?_

_**C_Dvs:** there r obvs lots of sightings for the supernatural creatures_

_**C_Dvs:** so i tried picking a few that LOOKS real_

_**C_Dvs:** {file link}_

_**C_Dvs:** pictures n everything_

_**C_Dvs:** checked the source, when the pic was taken, yadah yadah_

_**C_Dvs:** and there was something odd abt them_

_**C_Dvs:** the first pic of the Yeti was taken in 1600ish_

Feugo opened the document again, and squinted at the horrible image of the Yeti. It was old, and there were lots of scratches and spots to it. _Yeah, this is old, alright. _It wasn't even a real picture taken by a camera. It was a sketch of the monster, hiding beneath all of the forest and snow.

_**C_Dvs:** i mean, technically its taken in 1671_

_**C_Dvs:** BUT SAME THING_

_**FF42:** It's really not_

_**C_Dvs:** ANYWAY_

_**C_Dvs:** the lochness monster was taken in the 1700_

_Still, it was no real photograph. It was old, just like the Yeti picture. It was the infamous picture of a long head poking out of the lake._

_**FF42:** What does this have to do with Neo?_

_**C_Dvs:** lemme finish fox_

_**C_Dvs:** the 3rd pic was taken in 1800ish_

_**C_Dvs:** n the 4th pic was taken in the 1900_

Feugo's eyes widened. His eyebrows shot straight up.

_**C_Dvs:** do u see what im getting at?_

_**C_Dvs:** or do u want me to explain it to u_

_**FF42:** So whoever miracle exists is_

_**FF42:** You think they have something to do with these AND me!?_

_**C_Dvs:** they dont just have something to do with it fox_

_**C_Dvs:** theyre fully responsible for it_

Feugo blanched and almost fell off of his chair.

He did fall off of his chair when Neo barged into the room unannounced.

"What? It's five in the morning, what do you-"

Neo stood and she looked taller than she was. She looked happy, too. Suspiciously so. She was dressed up. And her hair was disheveled. And there was a light layer of sweat coating her body, which meant that at some point, she'd done a vigorous activity.

"Neo, where did you go?"

Neo grinned a toothy grin and Feugo had to take a moment because his heart really reacted intensely at such a simple motion and he had to calm it down.

She patted the gym bag, slung over one shoulder. It was his old gym bag, back from high school. The bag and the content inside rumbled at her touch.

"What's that?"

Feugo wished he didn't ask, because the answer came in Neo throwing the bag to his thighs, revealing the horrendous amounts of money inside.

...

"N-Neo! What's all this!?"

"Money," the female voice that definitely did not belong to Neo said.

(Feugo had complained about the difficulties of listening to Neo. Clementine had suggested they used the voice option on Google Translate for her to better communicate and had called him an idiot for not having thought of that before.

But that wasn't the point.)

"Where did you get it?!"

"Bank."

Feugo blinked once. Twice.

Jesus fuck.

"Neo, did you… steal from a bank?"

Neo looked at him in confusion. She typed into the cheap knock-off iPhone he'd gotten for her after he found out that Scrolls didn't exactly have Google Translate.

"Well, duh."

"Oh, God." He was sure what he experienced was called a panic attack, but he was unsure, because it was hard to focus and his lungs were tight and it was hard to breathe and- _oh fuck, I'm having a panic attack right now!_

"What're we gonna do?! How're we gonna survive! Oh my lord, the cops are after us! We're gonna be on the run for the rest of our-"

A whack to the head shut him up.

He looked up to find Neo who calmly sat down on his chair and started to mess with his laptop. "Oi! What're you doing?!"

She glanced at him and rolled her eyes. It frustrated him to no extent. How could she be so calm about this?

"Seriously, Neo! It hasn't even been twelve hours and you've already robbed a bank?!"

"Shut up," the Google Translate lady said. Somehow, the tone conveyed the same irritation Neo had on her face.

Feugo opened his mouth only to sputter when Neo shoved his laptop screen to his face.

"N-Neo-!"

The video on his laptop played, showing the bank through a security camera.

"Is this…"

It was hard to pinpoint which one of these people were Neo. But the answer revealed itself in the form of Neo - in the same disguise she used in the tournament - who beat the shit out of the security guards. She did backflips, front flips, cartwheels. The whole package!

"Is that…" Feugo tugged the collar of his shirt down. "Is that really necessary?"

It was one thing to watch Neo did her moves on an anime show. It was a whole other thing to watch them through a security camera. In real life.

Even a simple push from her had sent him into a fit of spasms.

Feugo didn't want to imagine what it would be like to be on the receiving end of her punches and kicks.

He watched as she graciously finished them off before she walked to the counter. She didn't seem to need to say anything. She only needed to throw the bag to the counter and, minutes later, an abundant amount of money filled up the bag.

"Your money is weird," Neo said, through Google Translate Lady. "It's made out of paper and it's so thin! It must be easy to pickpocket!"

"Wait," he said as he jolted into a straighter position. "This is from YouTube. Why is this on YouTube?"

He grabbed the laptop and scrolled down.

A couple of things were made obvious.

Those things were:

A) The video was posted an hour ago.

B) The video has 50k views.

C) The video was titled "BADASS VIGILANTE WOMAN KICKS ASS! Xoxo" which, by the way, was so clickbaity.

D) Everyone in the comments were ~L~a~ ~S~h~o~o~k~e~t~h~.

"I'm popular!"

Feugo looked up.

"You're a wanted criminal."

"I've always been a wanted criminal."

"You're a wanted criminal on _Earth_."

"Well, this girl is-" she gestured to her disguised self "-Neo Fox is not."

"You took my name."

"I did."

"People will think we're married."

Neo's mouth formed into an 'o'. She shrugged as though it was not an inconvenience.

"I… need air," he said and quickly barged out despite Neo's questioning - albeit worried - glare.

As soon as he walked out, he was, for what must be the hundredth time, surprised out of his wits.

His living room was… immaculate. It had never been a pigsty, but now it was spotless. Every book, every magazine, every cassette. They were all organized. Refined.

Feugo spared one look at it and crossed it. He walked outside until he was away from his home.

He sat on the bench and watched the mundanities of people walking and trees rustling and cars honking with grave interest.

His phone buzzed. It must be from Clementine.

_**C_Dvs:** hooooolllllyyyyy shiiiiiiiiiitballllzzzzzzzzzz_

Called it.

_**C_Dvs:** dude_

_**C_Dvs:** our resident ice cream is VIRAL_

_**FF42:** SHE ROBBED A BANK!_

_**C_Dvs:** i knoooowww_

_**C_Dvs:** and she did it with_

_**C_Dvs:** -~LA STYLE~-_

_**FF42:** Clem NO_

_**FF42:** This is serious_

_**C_Dvs:** i know i know_

_**C_Dvs:** but isnt it great_

Feugo growled and almost threw his phone into the ground.

_**FF42:** IT ISNT CLEM_

_**FF42:** IT SO ISNT_

_**FF42:** WHY CANT ANYONE SEE THAT?!_

_**FF42:** STEALING IS WRONG_

_**FF42:** AND IF SHE GETS CAUGHT_

_**FF42:** THEN WE'LL BOTH BE IN TROUBLE!1!1_

His fingers gripped on the screen, hard. He was unable to text.

_**C_Dvs:** srsly fox?_

_**C_Dvs:** r u really worried abt that?_

_**FF42:** THEN WHAT SHOULD I BE WORRIED ABOUT?!_

_**C_Dvs:** well_

_**C_Dvs:** how abt the fact that neos all alone_

That caused him to stop.

He wanted to type in that her being alone didn't have anything to do with this, and she should stop being overdramatic.

But Clementine was nothing if not a ridiculously fast typer.

_**C_Dvs:** u have 2 understand what kind of world she came from_

_**C_Dvs:** _ _remnant is, like, super dangerous_

_**C_Dvs:** kids r being dragged into wars_

_**C_Dvs:** the gods abandoned their world_

_**C_Dvs:** n every1 is a superhero_

_**C_Dvs:** and not to mention, FUCKIN MONSTERS EXIST_

Ah. Right. The Grimm. How had he forgotten?

_**C_Dvs:** it aint exactly a safe place for anyone to grow up in_

Feugo thought of the show itself. Though it was badly portrayed, there was no doubt that each and every one of the main characters suffered from trauma.

_**C_Dvs:** especially since we never exactly know the kind of environment she grew up in_

_**FF42:** Are you saying it's okay for her to steal?_

It was a weak argument. But Feugo felt the need to say something.

_**C_Dvs:** im saying i do me and you do you and she does her_

_**C_Dvs:** and you cant try to control her fox_

_**C_Dvs:** that just aint right_

_**FF42:** I'm not trying to CONTROL her_

_**C_Dvs:** i sure hope so_

_**C_Dvs:** like_

_**C_Dvs:** just because she steals a bank doesnt mean u should hate her_

_**FF42:** That's a pretty flawed logic Clem_

_**C_Dvs:** Robin Hood stole_

_**C_Dvs:** do u hate him 2?_

_**FF42:** Well that's just different_

_**C_Dvs:** maybe_

_**FF42:** And you're not making a lot of sense_

_**C_Dvs:** oh yea _ _definitely_

_**FF42:** But_

_**FF42:** Thanks_

_**C_Dvs:** anytime_

_**C_Dvs:** idiot_

Feugo closed his phone and looked up at the sky.

Try to be considerate, ey? Or at least, that was what Clementine tried to tell him. Maybe. Or was it to keep an open mind?

Accept her for who she was?

Remember that this was all his fault to begin with?

Suck it up?

Live life to the fullest?

Hakuna matata?

Feugo still mulled over it even as he arrived home. He snapped out of his thoughts at the sight of Neo, who calmly sat on his couch, in his living room, playing with his laptop.

Upon closer inspection, it appeared she'd watched RWBY.

Feugo blinked. He opened his mouth, but what could he say? "Please don't watch that, it'll only make you question your world more."

Not only would that not help, but it would prove that Clementine was right; he was controlling.

Instead, he sat down next to her, and watched alongside her as she kicked Yang's ass in the train.

"So, is it like that?"

Neo turned and looked at him. He could tell she was upset, so he smiled despite himself.

"The world, I mean." He waved towards the computer. "Does it really look so… anime?"

Neo's nose scrunched up as she snorted mutedly. _No_ and _same _and _here _were the three words he only caught. Feugo made a mental note to himself to quickly finish that ASL online course.

"That's interesting." He nodded to himself, and tilted his head to the side as Raven appeared through the portal and caused Neo to flee. "I've always wondered where you went. And how you and Roman grouped together again."

Neo looked at me.

Feugo rubbed his neck, self-conscious. "I mean, if you want to tell me."

Her face stilled. Slowly, a small smile bloomed into her face, and Feugo crossed his legs and fully faced her as Neo recounted the tale of how she ended up in a middle school and was mistaken for a student.

...

Feugo watched aptly as the lady in the screen began to explain how to use the more complicated words like 'responsibility' and 'terminology' in sign language.

Sign language had always interested him. It had its own puns and jokes and it allowed you to communicate to many more people.

His phone buzzed in the middle of the lesson. He paused his laptop and looked at it. He frowned in worry and anticipation at the message he received.

_**C_Dvs:** yo_

_**C_Dvs:** fox_

** _C_Dvs: _ ** _got an update on the whole 'bringing our ice cream back home'_

_**FF42:** You know she actually hates being called that_

_**C_Dvs:** do i look like i care?_

_**FF42:** *le sigh*_

_**C_Dvs:** so_

_**C_Dvs:** its established that your situation isnt the first incident thats happened_

Feugo typed fast.

_**FF42:** Wait_

_**FF42:** Clem_

_**C_Dvs:** yea?_

_**FF42:** How do we know for sure its the same situation_

_**FF42:** I mean_

_**FF42:** Neo's an anime girl_

_**FF42:** And stuff like the lochness monster and yeti and tooth fairy are…_

_**FF42:** Different_

He heard the front door open. Neo must be back from her self-defence practise.

(On the third day, Neo had exclaimed that she needed to let out steam and asked Feugo where the nearest gang fights or mafia fights were. Feugo - horrified at the prospect of gangs and mafias living near him - had suggested she took self-defense practises instead. He'd, of course, calmly explain to her why she needed to hold back when she fought against normal civilians. She begrudgingly agreed, but only if he did the dishes and cook.

Feugo had gratefully accepted. He'd even give her a massage until he broke his fingers if it meant Neo wouldn't run off and start to beat people up again.)

_**C_Dvs:** the thing is_

_**C_Dvs:** the creatures USED to be_

_**C_Dvs:** at 1 point_

_**C_Dvs:** fiction_

That brought his attention.

_**FF42:** Huh?_

_**C_Dvs:** think abt it_

_**C_Dvs:** were talking abt the 1700s_

_**C_Dvs:** there were no anime or comics back in the day_

_**C_Dvs:** their entertainment were just myths and legends and folkstales_

_**C_Dvs:** the yeti to them might just be superman to us_

The gears turned in his head.

He could almost see it vividly. A medieval girl admiring the painting of the yeti, wondering what it would be like to actually see it, wishing it would come to live.

_**C_Dvs:** so of course_

_**C_Dvs:** THEIR version of superman DID come 2 life_

_**C_Dvs:** and by that i mean stuff like werewolves n vampires n probably trolls_

_**FF42:** Holy shit!_

_**C_Dvs:** language_

_**FF42:** I've got to tell Neo abt this!_

_**C_Dvs:** oh_

_**C_Dvs:** dont worry_

_**C_Dvs:** she already knows_

_**FF42:** ?_

_**C_Dvs:** she n ive been chatting_

_Of course they have. _Feugo rolled his eyes at the prospect. A smile bloomed on his face. They must had gotten along splendidly.

_I wouldn't be surprised if they're BFFs already._

His phone buzzed again.

Clementine sent him a picture of a mini umbrella.

_**C_Dvs:** she sent me this just now_

_**FF42:** Oh_

_**FF42:** You mean like an hour ago?_

_**C_Dvs:** ummm no?_

_**C_Dvs:** i meant like literally 5 secs ago_

Then who's in my living room?

Dread crept upon him.

It would be easier to stay here and hope whoever was outside wouldn't bother to try and barge into his room.

_**C_Dvs:** fox?_

_**FF42:** If I'm not back in 3 minutes call the police_

Feugo opened his door, a bat prepared to smash in his hands.

Before him stood two women and one man.

"Mister Fox. We have reasons to believe you and your wife are involved in the recent bank robbery that occurred two days ago."

And they wore blue uniforms.

"You're under arrest." 

...

"There's been a misunderstanding-"

"I'm sure there is," the woman with short hair said, a drawl to her voice that made it clear she hadn't pretended to be empathetic. "Now shut the hell up."

Feugo bit his lip and tried to stay quiet.

This all unnerved him.

He flexed his arms to test how far and broadly he could move his cuffed hands. He couldn't go very far without sharp pain that shot up throughout his wrists. It stung. Badly.

"Where are you even taking me?" Feugo said as he watched them cross the police station. "You can't just take me to jail without taking me to court!"

At least, he was sure of it. Probably.

They arrived in the rural, empty areas of the city. The kind parents told their kids to stay away from.

As soon as the male officer opened the door, he yanked Feugo off of the car.

"H-hey!" He hadn't even tried to be uncooperative! Why so rough?!

As soon as Feugo spotted someone - a civilian - he gasped. "Help! You there! Please he- ACK!"

"Carry on with your day, sir," the woman with the ponytail said as Feugo, doubled over and with tears in his eyes, tried to gather his breaths. "This is just a normal case of petty thief in denial."

Feugo looked at the civilian and hoped that the pain and desperation in his eyes were enough to convince him otherwise.

It was not.

And as Feugo was dragged into the dark alleyway, a contrast to the bright and peaceful day that blessed the city, the civilian walked away, oblivious.

When the pain subsided and clarity emerged, Feugo found himself in a dark, pale room, surrounded by the three cops. Music came from above. The kind with deep basses and deeper drum kicks and electro synths. The kind people used to party.

Feugo eyed the three people that surrounded him. The three people that could hurt him at any moment.

"You're not a real cop, are you?"

There was no answer. And that was enough.

They waited for something. And Feugo didn't know what. He only knew that it was bad. He hoped Clementine had gotten the memo that he was in trouble. Though, how she would be able to send him help all the way from another country was an entirely different matter.

Maybe Neo would help.

But… why should she?

They'd known each other for three days. And despite both of their efforts to get rid of it, there still hung an aura of awkwardness in the air, always present to remind them that they were strangers and they didn't become acquaintances simply because they liked each other.

Neo was here because of him. Despite his hopes that she wouldn't, there was a logical chance that Neo simply wouldn't come and save him. Maybe she blamed him and hated him for what he'd caused on accident. He wouldn't put it past her. She was a crook and a thief. She'd murdered.

_She's a murderer._

_A criminal._

_Why should she help you?_

He didn't know. Maybe because she was quite the nice girl, all things considered. They'd only known each other for three days, but he'd gotten to know her better.

He'd gotten to know the way she smiled, and smirked, and grinned. The way her shoulders shook whenever she laughed. The expertise way she could raise her right eyebrow. The small dimple in her left cheek - only her left, not her right.

These little things made her real. Made her human.

Perhaps he'd slowly believed that the friendship between them was real too. That there was a friendship in the first place.

The door opened. Everyone around him tensed.

Feugo saw their shadow, at first. They were big. And casted darkness in the already dimly lit room.

And he saw the shoes.

And all he could think was how 'classical' they looked.

He never got the chance to see any more than those two things.

Pain greeted him by the head.

Feugo met blackness. 

...

"No wedding ring, ey?" was what Feugo woke up to.

That, and the face of someone with green eyes, short, buzz cut hair, and a scar that ran across her left eye horizontally.

This was the first time Feugo ever experienced real fear.

And it was not something he wanted to experience. Not at all.

"Sorry for knockin' you out." Her face told Feugo she was not at all sorry. "But, you know. Procedures and all that."

"I didn't do anything. Please. You must be mistaken. Whatever it is you think I did, I didn't do it!"

If he were anything other than who he was, Feugo might have given his kidnapper a glare and a few not-so-nice choice of words. Perhaps he'd even laugh at her face and mock her.

But Feugo was a nobody. A nobody who accidentally brought a fictional character to life. A fictional character who happened to be good at combat. A fictional character who happened to rob a bank and become a criminal.

That was all her. Neo. Not him. He didn't do anything on purpose. He was powerless. And afraid. And was close to pissing himself.

So he begged and begged and stopped when she gave him a punch to the cheek. A powerful one at that. One that sent him sprawling down. One that left his teeth moving in a way that brought discomfort. One that would leave a mark.

Feugo wasn't even aware he'd sat. Or that he was tied to a chair in the classic 'arms and legs roped in' way.

He stopped. And he let her speak even as his ears rang.

"Are you sure you got the right boy?"

Muffled sounds. Feugo couldn't hear well or think straight, but he guessed it was an affirmative.

"Well, perhaps they're not really married and it's all just a hoax." A chuckle. "It's a good strategy, really. Pretend to be this innocent helpless housewife so no one'll suspect a thing. This little one certainly seems to be one who would fall for her facade."

Oh.

She was talking about him.

She must be.

And she was right.

He was the kind to fall for her facade. How could he not? She was pretty. She was nice. He'd admired her before he even met her. She was perfect.

So, yeah.

He was an idiot.

And he was going to die. Of starvation or dehydration or wounds or internal bleeding; whatever the cause would be, it was inevitable.

"What will you do to her?" Despite it all, there was still a shred of worry he held for her. "Assuming you did this so you can meet her."

"Well, I planned to meet both of you. Mister and Misses Fox. Turns out one half is pathetic, and the other does all the work." Shoes that clanked against the harsh, concrete ground. "She'll come and see us at any minute now."

'Any minute' turns out to be half an hour later.

Neo barged in, swordbrella at her hand, a dead look on her face, and fury that radiated off of her.

Her simple arrival itself already shattered the still tension in the room, along with his sanity.

...

Neo. Neo was here. She stood in the doorframe. The remnants of the door lay down in front of her, never to be used. There were no people who wear officer uniforms anymore. In their place stood what looked like bouncer guys; broad shoulders, buff chest, and scary places. And they all had guns. And they aimed those guns at her. Right at her head.

"Neo… What are you doing here?"

"Why, I called her, boy." His quietness must've shown his confusion, but the nameless lady snorted. "I used your phone and texted her this address. It's partly why I had to knock you out. Well, that and I had to take precautions in case you'd fight your way out. Precaution I now have come to realise is nothing if not unnecessary."

Feugo gulped and watched through lidded eyes as she confronted Neo, whose eyes never glanced at him. Not even once.

"So," the kidnapper lady clasped her hands together and caused the eerily silent room to echo in her clap, "let's get down to business, shall we!"

She clapped, twice.

The men that surrounded Neo withdrew their weapons. Feugo watched, his mouth opened. Despite what she did to him, he couldn't help but be amazed.

"I want you to work alongside me. Not for me, but with me."

Feugo's chest shrunk in pain not physical that he shouldn't be able to feel but did.

"I know potential when I see one. You've clearly done the crime business your whole life. With my aid, you can achieve every dream you've ever dreamed of, instead of wasting your youthful days away hiding in plain sight, pretending to be something you're not. Pretending that you belong with him."

Feugo didn't need to see the finger that pointed at him to know she had, yet again, referred to him. And in a light that made him look disgusting. Vile. Trash.

Feugo whimpered and bit back his sobs. He didn't want this. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to get hurt. He didn't want to get involved in anything.

He'd gladly return to his boring, mundane, Neo-less life if it meant he wouldn't get hurt. He didn't care how unfulfilling his life was. He wanted it. Craved for it. He'd do anything. Anything.

But that was no longer an option, was it?

Even if things got back to normal, he certainly wouldn't.

He'd seen too much. Known too much.

And even if he pretended all he wanted, deep down, he'd always, always remember this.

Feugo could see it. The temptation that ate away at Neo.

He would never wish to tell her to deny the offer. He wasn't selfish.

The offer that had been given to Neo was exactly what he wanted; normal.

Because this, to Neo, was what normal was, wasn't it? Gun fights and fist fights and robberies and gore.

This was Neo's life.

The life he'd taken away from her.

The life she could have again, right at this moment.

What kind of an idiot would not want to take the offer? Especially for a nobody like him. A nobody that caused her to be in this situation in the first place.

Feugo let his head drop to the concrete with a thud. It was less painful than he imagined. But the room did start to spin.

He could see nothing more than their feet, waists, and the edges of their fingers.

Neo's fingers moved. Not in a simplistic way. In a practised manner.

"What do you say, friend?"

The boss lady held out her hand. Neo stared at it for a couple of moments. She put down her swordbrella and the tip of it clanked against the ground. She smiled a sunny smile.

And she kicked Boss Lady in the face.

Chaos erupted.

Somehow, while she dodged the fists and kicks of the bouncer men, Neo grabbed something from Boss Lady's pocket with a swiftness only a pickpocketer could own and tossed it to his direction.

Feugo caught it with the swiftness only a man full of fears could have. He didn't need to look at the object to know it was the key. The key to his cuffs.

Because Neo had signed him, moments before the chaos, how she'd grab the key and throw it to him so he'd better be ready.

Perhaps it was due to adrenaline or shock or somewhere in-between, but the moment between Feugo unlocking himself and him standing up passed by in a blur.

He was free, only to wish to be in handcuffs again, because two of the bouncer dudes now tried to fight him.

Something flew at his side. Feugo caught it with both hands.

It was Neo's swordbrella.

Feugo barely knew how to use an umbrella. He absolutely had no idea how to use a sword. And he hadn't believed in the existence of a swordbrella until Neo came into his life.

But somehow, some way, he managed.

It was mostly just him narrowly avoiding each of their punches. By jumping. And running. Mostly running.

Instead of using the lethal pointy end of it, Feugo used the side to sort of whack 'em. Like a bat. But only an umbrella.

Okay, yeah. He basically used an umbrella.

He didn't knock any of them down. When they cornered him, Neo came to the rescue as she gave them a kick to the side of their heads.

However, her redirecting her attention to me caused her to lose focus and forget one last baddie behind her, all set to hurt her.

The crashing sound of the swordbrella's dull edge against the baddie's head rang and vibrated.

Feugo winced.

He stopped his wince when he realized it was over.

He looked back at Neo.

Neo made a move to sign, but he beat her to it. "I'm sorry, I can't- this place is giving me the creeps. I need out. And air."

She looked around. Her frown deepened. It was as though she couldn't see what exactly gave him the creeps.

She nodded either way.

…

His boring small city had never been more of a relief to see. The cloudy sky. The bland, emotionless people that passed by. Everything. Everything was a relief to him. From the puddles and the moss that grew on the edges of the buildings and the smears on the window.

He sat on the middle of the bench. Neo did so too. Their thighs touched. He couldn't feel the touch, for some reason.

_What was it that Clementine said? The condition that makes you quiet._

His eyes glued themselves to the ground and refused to look anywhere else. Not even at Neo, who'd saved his life, despite everything.

Neo gently placed one hand on his thigh - and there was a moment of admiration at how small and soft her fingers were, and how warm they were against his layered skin.

She began to sign, and Feugo began to be glad at how much effort he put into understanding her language.

He might as well heard her say something along the lines of, "_I know you think of me as a criminal. Someone to be feared. I know everyone seems to think so too, with how the-"_ there was a pause, small, and noticeable, and distanced, and spoke volumes "_-the show represents me."_

Shell-shocked.

That was what he was having, right now.

That was why speaking sounded as tiring as running across the world and back in ten minutes.

Feugo raised his hand. He tried and failed to make it stop its trembles. He put it above Neo's hand.

"_Why didn't you accept the offer?"_

The hand below him stilled and clawed into his jeans with not enough strength for it to hurt.

"_Just because I do it for basically my entire life, doesn't mean I like doing crime."_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_I know I look and act like one, Feugo, but I'm not a psychopath who can kill you at any moment."_

"_I know you're not. You're not."_

"_And everything here is so different and off and it's so, so scary."_

"_It must be."_

"_And I'm not real. My world is not real. Everything I know is not real."_

Feugo looked up at the sky. They were as cloudy as ever. He wondered how the sky looked in Remnant. Were it brighter or darker? Were the clouds as thick as they were here or were they thinner?

"I've been a real dingus, Neo," he said and slumped onto the bench. He still shook with fear. His mind hadn't stopped replaying the previous 'event' over and over. Neither of them were fine. "A real, idiotic dingus.

He looked at her and smiled. "So… ice cream?"

The hand below him rotated and linked its fingers with his own.

That was enough of an answer.

...

_**C_Dvs:** wait_

_**C_Dvs:** y didnt u call the cops?_

Feugo sat on the living room. He had only typed 'becau' when Clementine sent another message.

_**C_Dvs:** wait o yea_

_**C_Dvs:** then youd have to explain WHY u and neo were kidnapped_

_**C_Dvs:** this is quite the dilemma_

Understatement of the year, Clem. Understatement of the year.

_**FF42:** I'm just glad we're both OK_

_**FF42:** And thanks for saving me_

_**FF42:** I owe you 1_

_**C_Dvs:** dude_

_**C_Dvs:** u suddenly went AWOL after u hinted that u might be in trouble_

_**C_Dvs:** how could i NOT freak out and text neo?_

_**FF42:** You're the greatest friend ever_

_**C_Dvs:** but am i the coolest?_

Feugo chuckled. He was willing to give her all the praise she wanted. After how she'd contacted Neo and urgently told her what might have happened, he'd even do her dishes and finish her homework.

_**FF42:** Yup!_

_**C_Dvs:** the awesomest?_

_**FF42:** Uh huh_

_**C_Dvs:** the tallest? :D_

_**FF42:** Well, don't know about that_

_**C_Dvs:** :o_

_**C_Dvs:** u suck_

_**FF42:** The suckiest_

_**C_Dvs:** ew_

_**C_Dvs:** but oky yea_

_**C_Dvs:** so r those criminals gonna come after u now?_

_**FF42:** I think so_

_**C_Dvs:** well now im worried_

_**C_Dvs:** y dont u move then? find some place far_

_**FF42:** Neo said that wouldn't help_

_**C_Dvs:** sooooo_

_**C_Dvs:** u guys r just gonna do nothing while the enemy is scheming n plotting_

_**FF42:** Well no_

_**FF42:** NEO is gonna do nothing_

_**C_Dvs:** ?_

_**FF42:** It's a surprise_

_**FF42:** And I don't want you telling Neo about it_

_**C_Dvs:** y i would neverrrr_

_**FF42:** -_-_

_**C_Dvs:** kay fine i might_

Besides him, Neo nudged him by the shoulder. He looked at her only for her to gesture forward. "Oh!" His cheeks reddened when he realized he'd been still in his spot while the people in front of him had moved forward.

He decided it was enough time for him to chat with Clementine and actually paid attention to the world around him. Not let technology pull him away from reality, and all that!

He paid 20 pounds for each of the tickets.

It was bad, economically-wise, especially now that he was without a job.

But it would be worth it.

He was going to make damn sure it was worth it.

"Alrighty, Neo! Get ready! We're gonna have the best day ever because we're going to-"

He paused for probably too long for dramatic effect that ended up not being all that dramatic.

"-SeaWorld!"

...

Neo deserved this. More than anyone.

She deserved to have her eyes wide with giddiness and her mouth curled all the way up as she ran to the exhibits.

She deserved to look at the smaller creatures with wonder, and the bigger ones with a mild sense of curiosity coupled along with that same wonder.

It was the least he could do for her.

Plus, they both deserved a break after everything.

"Don't they have seaworlds there in Remnant?" Feugo asked as they stood in front of the huge glass. He didn't look at the fishes. Neo did. And she looked at them with such a soft look in her eyes that his chest ached.

Neo shook her head and signed. "_No. There's not a lot of entertainment in general."_ She shrugged. "_People are too busy fighting monsters and each other to care."_

"Well, that's… interesting."

The left side of Neo's mouth quirked up. "_It's sad."_

Feugo deflated. "Okay, yeah. It's sad."

One of the fishes - a pufferfish, if he guessed correctly - started to do a little wiggle as it descended down.

A hand placed itself on his shoulder. He shivered at the touch and hoped Neo didn't see his shiver.

"_I've never really asked how you feel about everything. So…"_ The hand trailed down at the word 'so' until it touched his elbow. "_How do you feel?"_

Feugo opened his mouth. He closed it.

His hand met Neo's hand. The one that rested on him.

He refused to look at her.

"_I feel like I want to make your time here the best. I feel like I want you to remember me after you're gone. I feel like the world's upside down, and logic is no more."_

He had more to say. Of course he did. But he didn't want Neo to know yet. Or ever.

Not when she was about to leave anyway.

"_Why?"_

Why?

What a ridiculous question.

Feugo looked at her and squeezed her hand. He smiled. "Because you're my favourite character."

He could go on, and tell her that he could look at her eyes for eternity and want to look at it some more. Maybe that she was a contradiction to herself; her frail body against her strength in combat. Maybe that he'd been in love with her since before they met.

He didn't.

Because Neo was not ready.

Because Neo would never be ready.

"Let's go home, shall we?"

...

It happened on the fourteenth day.

And it happened in the middle of a particularly interesting conversation. One that Neo brought up while they sat on the couch and faced the static of the TV.

"_Sometimes I wonder how Roman's doing."_

It was quick. It was a brush at his knee.

But Feugo had practised. He'd learned. And he knew.

So he looked at her. And he listened.

"_Is he doing fine without me? I know he's not the best at fighting." _She laughed a teary laugh. "_He thinks his charm will always make up for his mediocre fighting skills. He used to tell me that, back when I was a kid. He was so, so nice to me. He was kind when others wanted me gone."_

Homesickness.

What a terrible feeling it was.

Feugo had once felt it. Just a bit of it. When he'd moved out of his Mum's house.

This was like that, but more.

Because Neo didn't just move to another house in her own free-will. No. She'd been pulled away from her home, her world.

It was something he wasn't sure he could ever forgive himself.

Feugo wrapped her in a hug. She tensed, almost in fear, but he loosened the hug; a silent signal that told her the choice of hers, whether or not he'd continue with his embrace.

Neo hugged back.

Feugo had hugged girls before, of course, but never like this.

This was different. Special. Intimate.

And Neo signed into his chest. And Feugo shivered again. Her touch was cool, and it contrasted greatly against his warm skin.

"Sometimes, you remind me of him. Just a little." Neo's shoulders shook. It took all of Feugo's wills not to crush her deeper into the hug. "You could've just abandoned me from day one, let me figure things out on my own, but no. You stuck with me. Through and through. Even when I did things you don't like."

Roman Torchwick.

To many, he was a charismatic crook whose character had been butchered in Volume 3.

Feugo wasn't sure who Roman was to he himself.

But he knew how important that man was to Neo, and that was all that mattered.

Feugo's hand trailed up to her scalp. He rubbed patterns he hoped was soothing for her. "Of course I didn't abandon you. That would make me a dick." Neo's frame shook in laughter. "And it's not like I'm ever going to live my life sanely after knowing that I could've had a chance to be friends with my favorite character and just threw it away."

And that was when it happened.

A buzz and a ringtone, indicating a phone call.

Feugo grumbled. Neo was the one to pick it up and put it on speaker - which threw him off for a moment before he realized that of course she knew how earth technology worked, she'd been here for quite some time.

It was clementine.

Clementine _never_ video-called, or even just called the regular way. She always texted.

Something was very, very wrong.

Neo gave Feugo a glance. Judging by the look on her face, she must be thinking of the same thing.

Hesitantly, he pressed answer.

Clementine's face, frazzled and shocked, merged into existence.

Her voice soon followed.

"Fox. I know how to bring her back."

...

He sat, with neo still leaning into him, facing the digital rendition of his fellow friend.

"What?"

"I figured it out. Or- at least I _think_ I did- I'm not sure- but it has to be the key." Clementine looked like she was seconds away from hyperventilating. She ran a hair through her black hair and pulled. "It must be. I know it. I'm sure of it. Ninety percent."

He was at a loss for words. Neo squeezed his hand, and he forced himself to say, "Clem, slow down. Talk to us."

He set his phone down on the table to squeeze her hand back with his other hand.

"During the times where other characters appeared in our world, There's always a sighting of this book. Hold on."

Clementine shuffled out of view. Feugo gave Neo a short glance. She didn't return that glance. Her eyes were deadset onto his phone, onto the possible answer to her question, a passage to her home, at last.

Clementine appeared holding a laptop. She typed in and clicked something onto it, then showed the screen to them.

There was an image of a book. It appeared old, worn. Like something out of a fairytale.

"I'll send you the picture later, but for now- um, so yeah, this is it. This book is always there whenever the sightings of the mythical creature occurred. Always."

She readjusted her glasses. "It took a long time, but this, along with a mysterious figure, was there, each time."

"So, with this book-" Feugo refused the urge to shudder "-we can bring her home."

Feugo didn't want to believe it. not so easily.

Neo's hand tugged at his.

"Theoretically, yes." Clementine gulped. "Look, I'm still unsure how this'll work, even if this would work at all. but it's the only chance we've got."

Feugo glanced at Neo. His resolve steeled, like never before.

"We'll take it. anything that can bring her home."

Neo gave him a glance, and Feugo fought hard not to look back, heat creeping up at his cheeks.

Clementine looked at him, her eyes wide and her lips parted before she readjusted her glasses again - which seemed to be a tick to regain control of and balance her self-composure, he observed.

"Right. So, there are a few copies of the book. Luckily, there's one that exists in London."

Ah. So all it would take was four to five hours to get there and get this whole shenanigan over.

Then why did Clementine look like she was about to bring up bad news?

"The thing is- I've done my research- but it can be kind of wrong since ive not gotten to the place-"

Neo's hand squeezed harder. it fueled his agitation. "Please, Clem. Just tell us."

"It's located in a museum, in London. Like, a super tightly-guarded museum. The point is, you can't just borrow it. not even rich gals and guys could do it."

Clementine's eyes lost their light.

"So you're gonna have to steal it."

...

Steal.

An act Feugo had never done, even as a child. An act that was too wrong in too many ways.

Feugo may not be religious, but he still thought it a sin.

And now, they had to do it.

In order for neo to come back.

Feugo didn't know why, but this angered him.

"No. No way, I'm not gonna steal-"

"Fox-"

"Clem!" Clementine shut her mouth. Feugo glared at her, not in anger, but in stone-cold resolve. "It's a crime. A serious one. Are you seriously telling me to go do it? And for what? So we'll get a chance to bring her back to her dystopian world!?"

"Fox!"

Feugo stood up. He had enough of this. Enough of everything.

"No!" Neo, from his side, shuffled away. Her face was one of shock. "We both know what a shit world Remnant is! Grimm are everywhere! The kingdoms are in chaos! And all you'll do is just steal and kill again!"

He regretted it as soon as those words left his mouth. Funny, he'd never really thought of it. It had always been sitting in the back of his mind, waiting.

Well, it need not to wait. Not any longer.

Neo stood up. Feugo couldn't even get a glimpse of her face before she bolted away. and that was probably for the better.

Clementine was there. she looked pissed.

"I seriously want to hang up, right now."

That was when he felt something wet on his cheeks. He tapped at it, and his heart sank. He looked at Clementine, and begged more than said, "Please don't."

"You're an asshole, you know."

"I know."

"I'm surprised she hasn't gotten fed up with you."

"Well, she is, now." She must be.

"And for a damn good reason." Clementine stood up and slammed her fist to what looked like a desk. "I mean, what the fuck, fox?! that didnt sound like you at all!"

"Oh? Not wanting to steal a highly guarded artifact doesn't sound like me, huh? That right?"

"Fox. Please."

"No, Clem! I know you're kind of weird, but this is too much! We're talking about stealing, here! stealing!"

He tried to emphasize it as much as he could.

He received a cold stare in return.

"We're also talking about bringing her home."

And that was it. The final blow.

Feugo crumpled into his seat. He buried his face in his hands, and sat, in defeat and shame and regret, partly trying to breathe.

"What do I do, Clem?"

The answer came too late. "You know what."

He did. He felt stupid for asking.

Feugo, scared and without a wit or a plan, stood up, and chased after Neo.

...

"Neo, wait!"

He ran, and kept on running. Neo wasn't running. She was striding very powerfully. And she was a good few feet ahead of him.

Not that that would stop him. Or anything, at this point.

"Neo, please!"

She swiftly turned, and stomped. The sudden gesture made him trip and stumble. He barely was able to stop himself from falling down and making a fool out of himself.

"N-Neo-"

Neo stomped again. She pointed at herself, and at him, then made a cutting motion.

It broke his heart, more than he'd like to admit. Funny, especially considering how small and seemingly inconvenient the gesture was.

He kept running, despite her warnings.

Once he was close enough, he could see her shoulder shaking. And it was not in sadness.

"Neo, I-" Neo opened her parasol and aimed it at him. It did not faze him. "Neo, please."

He reached out to her, and saw her rage multiplying, and a second later, he was bending over with a sharp pain on the side of his stomach.

Feugo, hacking and coughing, still stumbled forward, and tried to straighten himself.

She hit him. She, a dangerous criminal, had hurt him. Painfully.

He did not stop.

"Neo, I'm so, so fucking sorry-"

It was a slap, this time. And to his face, no less. It stung. The pain was more bearable from the one in his lower abdomen. He gasped nonetheless as he fell down.

He, through squinted, burning eyes, looked up. His whole body protested, yet he looked up anyway. He needed to do it. He needed to see her. To somehow fix this.

"Neo, I was way out of line. I know you didn't have a choice. I know you never wanted to hurt anyone. I know you did it just 'cuz you needed to survive. And I'm sorry! I'm sorry for everything!"

He heard a sharp heel clanking dangerously against the concrete ground. He winced, and brought one hand up, the other glued to his stomach in a primal subconscious way to stop the pain.

The impact never came.

Faintly, Feugo realized that a crowd had gathered.

Less faintly, Feugo realized Neo was still looking at him, waiting.

Waiting for what? Feugo didn't know. But he was sure as hell going to blurt out every damn thing, anyway.

"Neo- I- I love you!"

Welp.

That wasn't a nice start.

In his head, he imagined himself slowly easing into the confession, in a romantic beach on a sunset or on the top of some tower with the bright night lights of the city as their company.

He fretted on, anyway.

"I love you, and I don't want you to leave, and that's why I was angry. And I shouldn't be angry, because you miss your home, and it's wrong for me to deny it, but I just can't help myself! I- I- I don't know what to do! I don't know how to make you stay!"

Everyone was watching, surrounding, and some even had their phones whipped out, recording. It was not his main concern. And anything but his main concern - which was Neo - was tucked away, including the crowd, and the pain, and the fact that he was barefoot and in his PJs and hadn't showered.

And suddenly there was a hand in front of him. A familiar, small, delicate hand, capable of so much destruction and power.

Fox took it. No hesitance. No doubt that it wouldn't be some kind of trap.

He stood up, not at all gracious with his movements. He didn't care about being gracious. He only cared about Neo.

Neo, who was looking at him with tears in her eyes and pursed lips.

"Neo, I-"

He couldn't finish his sentence, not with her tackling him into a hug. It hurt his stomach, to have her pressed against him, but he didn't give a damn.

Then he felt her signing to his chest.

"_I want to go home."_

And that was it.

A decision had been made.

He opened his mouth, but no words would come out. Funny, he'd been shouting at the top of his lungs, minutes before. And now he had trouble producing a whispery mumble. What a joke.

So he spoke in a language that spoke to her more than any other.

He signed, into her shoulder blade. It was painful, more than getting hit by a magical parasol, but it was necessary. "_You will."_

And they stayed, as the crowd vanished into thin air, with more and more people losing interest.

They looked at each other, something unspoken and full of questions hanging between them.

Feugo nodded, and didn't know what he was nodding at.

He reached for her hand, only for Neo to swiftly ignore his attempt and walk away.

Feugo watched, beaten. Not that he didn't deserve it.

His phone beeped. Thinking it was a message from Clementine, he opened it.

It was not from Clementine.

And it read; Actions have consequences.

...

Feugo rubbed his hands and paced around the living room. He was scared. He was so fucking scared.

But then again, he was always scared, even for no good reason, even without any reason.

The doorbell rang, and he rubbed his hands despite it being summer. He looked back to my room - or what used to be his room, before he'd given it to Neo - and wished for her to come outside, if only for his sake.

But she never came out.

She hadn't come out since… that day.

Feugo opened the door, only to whimper and curl his hands around his face, scared that he'd get punched in the face.

He didn't.

Instead, all he got was a raised eyebrow, and a challenging stare - one he, with hesitance, returned.

"Umm, I guess you should sit down…"

The woman who'd tried to kidnap him not that long ago scoffed and glared at him. She looked like she wanted to kill him. The worst part was that she really could.

"Is that a request or a question?"

"Both." Damn it, mouth! Why'd you start talking without my consent!?

The woman - whose name he never cared to remember but really should considering she was, well, the queen of all the bad guys and stuff and she was in his house - sat down.

"So, what'd you want me to do?" she asked, planting her feet on his table. Rude.

Feugo gulped, looking at Neo's door nervously. He rubbed at his hands again, and readjusted his glasses.

"I want you to-"

The moment he began, Neo stepped outside, wearing the typical 'MY BOYFRIEND GOT ME THIS LOUSY T-SHIRT' and shorts.

It only occurred to him now that, due to her having to adjust to living here, she needed to start blending in, ergo, ditching her cool badass tailor jacket/coat thingie for a more modern, casual look.

Neo paled, then resolution grew in her eyes, and in a blink of an eye, she had her parasol out and ready, aimed at his rude guest.

"Neo! Wait!"

"Is this how she treats all of her guests or only the hot ones?"

"Don't hurt her!" Neo gave him an incredulous look. "Seriously," he seethed, placing himself between the two women, feeling more awkward than ever before. "I invited her here. She's going to help us break in."

…

After some begging on his part, and some cold shoulder on both of their parts, they all reluctantly sat down in the small, cramped living room, facing each other.

Clementine would've grabbed some popcorn and milkshakes and watched through it all with gleaming, entertained eyes, no doubt craving for drama. Not to mention she would've smiled.

Neo was still looking at him with old anger and a new, irritated kind. It was hard. But Feugo had to push through.

"You really don't know, do you?" Boss Lady asked, tilting her head at Neo.

Neo looked cold, blank. She was trying not to show any weaknesses to a supposed enemy. Or at least, that was what he thought she was doing. Maybe she was just super duper mega pissed.

"This boy right here-" a perfectly manicured fingernail pointed to his direction, right at the bridge of his nose "-had the balls to dig up dirt on me."

Feugo blushed and paled, all at once.

Neo looked like she was about to faint.

Clementine would've laughed.

...

_**C_v_D:** so wait_

_**C_v_D:** _ _you fUCKING BLACKMAILED HER INTO HELPING YOU?!_

The amount of question marks certainly did not improve his confidence. Feugo shrinked into himself.

_**FF42:** Well it wasn't that hard_

_**FF42:** _ _You have no idea how chatty us british folks can get_

_**C_v_D:** f_ _ox_

_**C_v_D:** p_ _lz_

_**C_v_D:** u_ _ fuckin blackmailed them_

_**FF42:** _ _It feels kind of rude to say that_

_**C_v_D:** b_ _ruh_

_**C_v_D:** s_ _rsly?_

_**C_v_D:** u_ _ fuckin BLACKMAILED_

_**C_v_D:** s_ _um_

_**C_v_D:** l_ _ike_

_**C_v_D:** g_ _angs or mafias or whatever_

_**C_v_D:** a_ _nd then u_

_**C_v_D:** uuuu_

_**C_v_D:** g_ _et worried cuz of the use of the word "blackmail"?_

_**FF42:** _ _Don't forget abt the creepy message_

_**FF42:** _ _And the breaking and entering into a high security type facility, he chose not to add._

_**C_v_D:** o_ _ yea_

_**C_v_D:** u_ _ think it could be from those mafias?_

Feugo frowned. He was unsure, so he didn't bother answering her question.

Instead, he typed in how worried he was of getting caught stealing an old book.

And the response was…

Exhilirating.

_**C_v_D:** _ _WHAT?!_

_**C_v_D:** _ _FOX?!_

_**C_v_D:** _ _DA FUK?!_

Oh, yeah. He'd forgotten he hadn't told Clementine that bit yet. With a wince and a mental note to give her a long call - assuming he'd make it out alive and not in jail, or something - Feugo put his phone in his pocket, and watched, with tuxedo-wearing men surrounding him, looking as intimidating as Neo. Well, almost.

Feugo sighed and closed his phone. He watched as those practised criminals barge into the building, Neo in tow.

Minutes later, they all emerged back, with naught a scratch, and their prized treasure in Neo's hands. She looked so small, and the book was so big. She had to hold it with both hands.

Everyone was surrounding them. Feugo didn't feel comfortable in the way they'd understand. "_I… guess this is goodbye, huh?"_

Neo bit her lip, and nodded. She opened her mouth, and her hands hovered up - the telltale signs of wanting to communicate in her special way - but she pushed them down to her side, and she looked away.

Feugo stayed still, for about a couple of seconds, before he decided to be bold, say "fuck it", and kissed Neo. Full on the lips.

Neo didn't kiss back.

Until she did.

Everyone around them wolf-whistled.

Feugo and Neo broke away. He bit his lip and kissed Neo on the forehead. At her questioning stare, he said, "For good luck."

Neo chuckled soundlessly and kissed him on the nose. "_For evil luck,"_ she signed into his chest.

So Neo opened the book.

And it glowed.

And Neo became less transparent. She flickered in and out, like a hologram.

"Holy shit," Boss Lady said.

Feugo's lips trembled. He held himself strongly and refused to let a tear fell. He didn't want Neo to hesitate. It was her home, after all. Who was he to take away her desire from going home?

Everything went white.

…

Feugo came to.

Feugo gasped.

Feugo stood in front of Beacon.

Neo gasped alongside him, for different reasons.

He looked at her, and smiled, and realized that everything might be just fine.

It was Neo who pulled him into another kiss.

And they ended the kiss with a flush on their face.

They heard movements from behind them.

They turned.

Clementine, still in her PJs and a disoriented look and slanted glasses and a cowlick, looked around.

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm not in Indonesia anymore?"


End file.
